Field Notes for October 2026

Welcome back to Field Notes!

October 1, 2026

Mushrooms in Alaska. My brother Dave came across this beautiful group of mushrooms while hiking through the forest in Juneau, Alaska on a beautiful fall day. That orangey-red color is perfect for fall and October!

Mushrooms in Forest (photo by David Harris)

October 3, 2026

Meanwhile in Oakland. Bobo the Husky and I came across this Chicken-of-the-Woods mushroom along the Montclair Railroad Trail. This specimen was growing at the base of a eucalyptus stump in a mixed oak and eucalyptus forest area. According to Miriam Rice in Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix, Chicken-of-the-Woods is a woody polypore and good for papermaking.

Chicken-of-the-Woods in California

October 6, 2026

On the Fence. Signs of Halloween are starting to pop up in the neighborhood. Bobo the Husky and I came across this trio of skeletons on our morning walk. Luckily it was bright daylight so we had no reason to fear (but it might be different in the dark of night).

 

Trio of skeletons on the fence

October 9, 2026

A Spider Hammock. A spider has taken up residency on a small shelf near the kitchen window. I was intrigued by the hammock shape of its web, so different from the orb shaped webs I typically see. The hammock is anchored high up on the wall, and in multiple places on the shelf below. A tiny spider sits suspended under the web shelf, and quite a few small insect carcasses are strewn beneath. The web may belong to the common Hammock weaver spider (Linyphia triangularis). Linyphia is a genus of sheet-weaver spiders belonging to the family Linyphiidae.

A spider hammock

October 12, 2026

Ghouls in the Hood. More signs of Halloween in the neighborhood. Bobo the Husky and I came across the ghoulish creature on one of our morning walks. I'm enjoying the imaginative decorations around the neighborhood.

Another ghoul in the neighborhood

October 15, 2026

Pet Semetary Scare. I've been noticing quite a few canine skeletons around the nearby neighborhoods (faux, I'm sure). It's not surprising, since we have so many dog lovers in the area. Bobo the Husky is undeterred, and just keeps on walking when we encounter them.

Canine skeleton loose in the neighborhood cemetery

October 18, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms. For this month's mushroom cooking experience, I made a hearty, cream-of-mushroom soup for lunch, and served it with buttery toast and crispy apples, perfect for the cooler weather that we experience in between heat spells. The recipe calls for one pound of common white button mushrooms and half a pound of brown cremini mushrooms, both Agaricus bisporus and both obtained from our local grocery store. Optionally add a little cream to thicken and enrich the soup. 

White button and cremini mushrooms

Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic, and other seasonings

Add broth and cream

Cream of mushroom soup on a cool, sunny day

October 21, 2026

A Crowd is Gathering. There are now seven skeletons on the fence, and they have been joined by three pumpkins and several ghosts behind the fence. It may be time for fear!

There are now seven skeletons on the fence!

October 24, 2026

OTHG Hike to Diablo Foothills. Mari and I joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Diablo Foothills Regional Park, led by Anthony Fisher. (We missed our hiking buddy, Gaymond, who was serving on a jury). Diablo Foothills is in close proximity to Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area, Shell Ridge Open Space, the old Borges Ranch, and Mount Diablo State Park. Mount Diablo dominates the view from many vantage points.

View of Mount Diablo from the staging area

Straight up Shell Ridge Trail

The group met at the Orchard Staging entrance and parking lot. After introductions, we hiked Shell Ridge Trail up a steep, tricky hill that just kept on going! At the top we joined the Buckeye Ravine Trail and then the Stage Road Trail for the return, forming a three-mile loop.

Finally, at the top!

Golden hills and oak trees

The scenery was beautiful, first golden hills dotted with stately California oak and walnut trees, and then mixed oak forest in the shadier ravines. Along the way we saw the impressive Castle Rock formation and some weathered sandstone rocks. We enjoyed two cookie breaks, one at the top of the steep hill (Oreo cookies with Halloween-orange filling) and at the half-way point (ginger cookies from Safeway). We needed the calories!

Castle Rock

On the way down Buckeye Ravine Trail we ran into several sections of very steep trail covered with a light sand that was rather treacherous for our 55+ crowd. Thankfully, most of us had walking poles, and we had each other to rely on for extra help. A few chose to simply slide down the hill au derrière! We all made it without incident and with a good story to tell.

Through a sunny ravine

A little help from our friends

Mari and I finished off the hike at Andaman Thai in Walnut Creek, with delicious food and wonderful conversation. Check the East Bay Regional Park website for information about upcoming hikes with this wonderful group (don't worry, no steep hills to scale in the next few hikes)!

Intrepid hikers at Diablo Foothills (photo from Mari)

October 26, 2026

Flora and Fauna at Diablo Foothills. I probably missed a lot of the flora and fauna on this hike, because I was paying close attention to my feet and staying upright! But I did have the chance to see some beautiful vistas, plants, and interesting geological formations; and heard birds in the air and in the trees. Following are a few highlights.

The path less taken

Chicken-of-the-Woods growing on a felled oak

California Buckeye

Sandstone erosion

 

Fungus to Dye For: Wrap Up

I'm closing up my atelier for the season, and looking back over my projects for the year. One of the projects was to document the steps to prepare protein fabric for dyeing (last year I did the same for cellulose fabric). For the rest of the projects I focused on dyeing with fungi.

First, I experimented with mushrooms. I procured Omphalotus olivascens (Western Jack-o'-Lantern) and Phaeolus schweinitzii (Dyer's Polypore) from a supplier on Etsy, and dyed with protein fabrics (silk and a silk/wool blend scarves) pre-mordanted with alum. I used the standard heat extraction method for extracting the dye, and experimented with alkaline and acidic dye baths. The colors ranged from lemony-beige, to seafoam green-gray, to dark orangey-gold, to light orangey-gold.

Mushrooms - left two: Omphalotus olivascens on silk (heat extraction, alkaline and acidic baths)
right three: Phaeolus schweinitzii on silk and silk/wool (heat extraction)

I foraged Bolete mushrooms from our yard to dye cotton fabric using three different mordants (alum, ferrous sulfate, and titanium oxalate). The fabrics had all been dyed before but were very pale. I couldn't tell if the overdye actually dyed the fabric a little darker, or just enhanced what was already dyed before. Either way, I have to agree that the mushroom dyes worked better on protein fibers than cellulose.

Mushrooms - Bolete edulis on cotton fabric with three different mordants
(left to right: alum, ferrous sulfate, and titanium oxalate)

Next, I experimented with lichen. Lichen is a composite of algae or cyanobacteria living among fungi species (with yeast being a possible third partner), living in a mutualistic relationship. I gathered Ramalina menziesii (lace lichen) in Mendocino, California and an assortment of unknown lichen from our yard [possibly Flavoparmelia caperata (common greenshield lichen) and Evernia prunastri (oakmoss lichen)].

I continued to dye with protein fabrics (silk and silk/wool blend scarves); used fermentation for one project and heat extraction for the second; and experimented with alkaline and acidic dye baths. The colors ranged from beige, to pale brown, to light butterscotch, to a light butterscotch/tan.

Lichen - left two: Ramalina menziesii on silk (fermentation, alkaline and acidic baths)
right two: unknown lichen mix on silk and silk/wool (heat extraction)

Note: Color names are a challenge. The colors that I see in person are often different from what the camera captures. The silk or silk/wool blend fabric looks darker when wet than when dry. Colors produced by fungi are rich and complex, and look notably different when seen in different lighting conditions, such as bright sunlight, overcast skies, dappled shade, deep shade, and inside lighting. Plus, many variables effect the color outcome for the same species, such as the age of the mushroom, environmental factors of where it was foraged, the season the mushroom was obtained, and so forth. So, when I say "lemony-beige", "seafoam green-gray", and "dark orangey-gold", I'm trying to describe what I see. You might describe in a different way!

Projects

Prepare protein fabric for dyeing, and dye with an assortment of mushrooms and lichen.

• Dye Project: Bolete with Alum

• Dye Project: Bolete with Titanium Oxalate

• Dye Project: Bolete with Ferrous Sulfate

• Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour & Mordant)

Note: last year I did the same for cellulose fabric.

• Dye Project: Western Jack o' Lantern

• Dye Project: Dyer's Polypore

• Dye Project: Lace Lichen (Fermentation)

• Dye Project: Multiple Lichens (Heat Extraction)

Books and Articles

Great books and articles for learning about fungi dye sources.

• "A Short Selection of the Best Mushrooms for Color" (adapted from The Rainbow Beneath my Feet, by Arleen Bessette. North American Mycological Association website: https://namyco.org/interests/education/dyes-and-papermaking/a-short-selection-of-the-best-mushrooms-for-color/

• Bessette, Arleen Rainis and Bessette, Alan E. The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer's Field Guide. Syracuse University Press, 2001. Provide a comprehensive reference and field guide to some of the more common and best color-producing dye mushrooms of North America.

• Casselman, Karen Diadick. Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book, Dover Publications, Inc. (Mineola, New York 2001). This slim little book is packed with information. I followed Casselman's instruction for fermenting the lace lichen dye.

• "Lichen Dyes". Mycopigments website (Feb 23, 2013): https://www.mycopigments.com/blogs/news/lichen-dyes

• Rice, Miriam C. Illustrated by Beebee, Dorothy M. Mushrooms for Color, Mad River Press, Inc. (Eureka, California, 1980). 

• Rice, Miriam C. Illustrated by Beebee, Dorothy M. Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Mico-Stix, Mushrooms for Color Press (Forestville, California, 2007; updated and reprinted multiple times). This volume provides streamlined and updated information from Mushrooms for Color, and adds information about papermaking with mushrooms and extracting pigments for paint and color sticks.

Documentaries

Several documentaries about the early days of dyeing with fungi in Northern California, and the world-wide interest that followed.

• "Mushrooms for Color and Mushrooms for Paper". The International Dye Institute (1988). This presentation includes two videos: "Dyeing with Fungi" and "Papermaking with Polypores" (both produced by David B. Marks). https://youtu.be/o1Dn7GsBsmU

• "Try it and See: The Story Behind Mushroom Dyes". Myra Made Color (2024). Produced by Martin Beebee and Myra Beebee. https://youtu.be/Y6-OTBv0gNM

Tutorials

Some useful tutorials for learning about dyeing with mushrooms and lichen.

• Byrd, Margaret. "How to Make Natural Color from Dyer's Polypore". Color Quest, Dec 2, 2022. This video shows how to achieve different colors using Phaeolus schweinitzii and various mordants. https://youtu.be/_4adB4t4DpU

• Byrd, Margaret. "How to Make Natural Dyes with Lichen". Color Quest, Dec 9, 2022. Good overview to dye extraction methods, including fermentation, water boiling extraction, and photo-oxidization (in which, color emerges when fiber is removed from the ammonia dye bath). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaYI7U7ZHEU

• Beeler, Julie. "Dyeing with Mushrooms". Bloom & Dye, Jan 31, 2019. This article describes the basic process of dyeing with mushrooms, using Phaeolus schweinitzii as an example. https://www.bloomanddye.com/journal/2019/2/1/dyeing-with-mushrooms

• Beeler, Julie. "The Mushroom Color Atlas: A Guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi". Discover the incredible spectrum of pigments and dyes that can be created from mushrooms. 

You can also use the online version of The Mushroom Color Atlas. Use the Index to filter for a specific fungus and see its batch notes and pigment studies.

• "How to Make a Natural Dye Using Lichens". Myra Made Color, Jun 4, 2022. Myra uses Wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina) to dye 100% wool with no mordant, using the water boiling dye process. BeeBee made an interesting comment that when the dye bath registers pH 4, the acid releases pigment. I'm not sure if this is a universal principal or just true for Wolf lichen, but worth exploring. https://youtu.be/RUUeAX4D1uE

• Maiwa School of Textiles "Mordants & Tannins", https://maiwa.teachable.com/p/mordants-tannins (free but you must sign up).

• Maiwa Textiles, "How to Mordant Silk or other Protein Fibres", https://naturaldyes.ca/how-to-mordant-protein (also a free, downloadable PDF file is available).

• McDonnel, Zoe. "Dyeing with Mushrooms", Wildcraft Dyeing. Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN8jIaL4rHvZlIJMBYQjk5PVWyDZ4fcg5

• McDonnell, Zoe. "How to Dye with Bolete Mushroom". Wildcraft Dyeing, Sep 30, 2023. An introduction to dyeing with Bolete mushrooms. https://youtu.be/BitA12R9n_4?list=PLN8jIaL4rHvZlIJMBYQjk5PVWyDZ4fcg5

• McDonnell. "How to Dye with Lichens and Mushrooms". Wildcraft Dyeing, Jun 24, 2021. A short introduction to the topic. https://youtu.be/-OtqvZQ-Vtw?list=PLN8jIaL4rHvZlIJMBYQjk5PVWyDZ4fcg5

• McDonnel, Zoe. "Introduction to Dyeing with Lichens", Wildcraft Dyeing, Jun 28, 2021. Describes what you need to know to get started natural dyeing with lichens. McDonnel discusses two types of dyeing (boiled water method and ammonia method). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8KfXIIUB_M

• Natural Dyeing With Mushrooms: Omphalotus olivascens (Western Jack-o'-Lantern). Myra Made Color, Dec 11, 2020. https://youtu.be/fvrM964uxNo

Resources

Favorite sources for dye supplies and information.

• Amazon.com: shop for alum, Synthrapol, soda ash, washing soda, dyes, and jars.

• Dharma Trading Company: shop for Professional Textile Detergent (a.k.a., Dharma Dyer's Detergent), dyes, silk and wool fabric and supplies, and learn how to dye.

• Etsy: shop for dye sources. Several vendors sell ethically foraged, dehydrated mushrooms for dyeing. I used The Constant Forager and was very pleased with my purchases, the service, and my results.

• Maiwa School of Textiles: shop for natural dyes and mordants, and learn how to dye.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. To see what we did last year, see Plants to Dye For: Wrap Up 2025. Stay tuned for more dye projects in the seasons to come!

Montclair Railroad Trail

Bobo the Husky and I have been hiking the Montclair Railroad Trail several times a week, as one of our morning routes. The one-mile trail follows part of the old Sacramento Northern railroad bed, and connects Montclair Village and Shepherd Canyon Road. There are several access points, but Bobo and I typically join at the top of La Salle. The path winds through oak, bay, and redwood areas, with lots of old eucalyptus stands along the way. The deep shade provides a cool place to walk during our summer heat in late September and October.

The Sacramento Northern Railway was a 183-mile electric interurban railway that connected Chico with Oakland by way of Sacramento, in Northern California. The Sacramento Northern provided an efficient, affordable rapid transit option from 1912 to 1957. The route included the 3700-foot long Redwood Peak Tunnel, which passed under the Oakland Hills between upper Montclair and Eastport station in Contra Costa (the tunnel has since been decommissioned and the entrances sealed).

Trail head at La Salle in Montclair Village in Oakland

Sacramento Northern railroad history

The trail is wide, with benches provided along the way. They are perfect for catching your breath, personal reflection, contemplating the universe, or writing and reading (we've seen all in actions)! Signage along the way provides history of the railroad, and the trail. Distance is posted at the quarter-mile points. The trail is well maintained by a neighborhood group of volunteers. Bobo is mainly interested in sniffing everything, and greeting people and dogs along the way.

Exploring the railroad trail with Bobo the Husky

Old eucalyptus grove, as well as oak and bay

I was curious about the one weathered post for Cytisus spp. (no other species are identified along the trail). Cytisus is a genus of about 50 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs in the legume family (Fabaceae), commonly known as brooms (such as, French broom and Scottish broom). No native broom plants grow in Northern California, so they are considered an invasive species. They have probably been removed from the trail (but the trail sign remains).

Old identification sign for invasive broom

Chicken-of-the-woods mushroom growing on a dead eucalyptus stump

On our last hike along the trail, we discovered this beautiful chicken-of-the-woods mushroom specimen. Chicken-of-the-woods also like decaying oak wood. Several other specimens were also growing in the area, all in about the same stage of development. We always see something new and interesting along the Montclair Railroad trail.